2002 Winners

Best of ShowDOOM III
(id Software/Activision for PC)With a franchise as powerful as that
bearing the name Doom, gamers demand that each iteration represents “the next
big thing.” Watching programming legend John Carmack manipulate the lone marine
through the claustrophobic corridors, it was easy to get caught up in the
revolutionary steps embodied by the technology on display. And all of that
would do an injustice to the entrancing glimpses of terrifying gameplay, mixing
hellish monsters with expert manipulation of the new technology. The buzz
generated by this early show made Doom III the indisputable “must see” of E3
2002, and rightly deserves the recognition of Game of Show.

Best Original GamePsychonauts(Double Fine Productions/Microsoft for Xbox)Tim Schafer is a man so creative that
we’re almost inclined to kick him out of the gaming industry. Why? The bottom
line is that he makes everyone else’s games look so damn derivative. In
Psychonauts, Schafer has concocted a circus-like hodgepodge of zany characters
and game environments to tell the story of Raz, a gifted little lad who must
have just missed the application deadline to Professor Xavier’s school for the
gifted. As a result, Raz is apparently shipped off to psychic summer camp to
develop his psychic abilities, in the hopes that he one day might become a
Psychonaut. At psychic summer camp, psychic-wannabe Raz earns special psychic
merit badges, one of which we hope is a badge decreeing a moratorium on use of
the word psychic in the game. But seriously, things get interesting when Raz
gets to jump into the minds of 16 individuals at the nearby insane asylum, and
in turn use his psychic abilities like firestarting and invisibility to defeat
some real inner-demons. The third person action adventure gameplay is a
departure from Schafer’s previous work, but his trademark originality is still
here in spades.

Best PC GameDOOM III(id Software/Activision for PC)Among the quality games on display from
the maturing console systems the PC stood loud and proud. Highlighting the
monumental improvement in graphical fidelity, and gameplay manipulation of that
technology, Doom III stood loud and proud. With fewer PC titles, the quality of
those on display was impressively high, but Doom III dominated the buzz among
onlookers. From the eerie shadowed corridors to the terror of seeing hell’s
monstrosities in the mirror it was a display not to be forgotten.

Best Console GameThe Legend of Zelda
(Nintendo for GameCube)Miyamoto’s latest Zelda outing takes
common cel-shading techniques to an uncommon level of polish and detail. But
Zelda isn’t only about amazing detail or sophisticated environments, it’s about
expertly crafted experiences. The game bleeds character and a cohesive design
that is more about cinematic subtleties than raw graphical horsepower. Zelda is
a console adventure game in the truest sense: the player is drawn into Link’s
world, but the development team never loses sight of the fact that it is the
player who is always driving the gameplay. Despite the obvious similarities to
the play mechanics found in the Zelda games for N64, Link breathes with new
life. Simply put, Miyamoto maintains his focus on what makes a console adventure
game great, and subsequently, he brings a great sample of his next console
adventure to E3.

Best Console HardwareWaveBird Wireless Controller
(Nintendo for GameCube)Finally, someone gets the wireless
console controller right and, in this case, that someone is Nintendo with its
own Wavebird Wireless Controller. For anyone who has spent precious game time
untangling cables or found themselves fighting with an unstable RF connection
instead of fighting unstable virus-laden zombies, the Wavebird is a godsend.
Yes, it works, and it works well, even with multiple controllers operational.
The Wavebird is a testament to Nintendo and one small victory for those of us
who prefer to recline during Rogue Leader without fear that the controller cord
will evacuate in our moment of triumph.

-- Eric
Eckstein, Editor-in-Chief, UGO

Runner-up:Steel Battalion Controller (Capcom for Xbox)

Best Action GameDOOM III
(id Software/Activision for PC)While DOOM III stays true to the
first-person-shooter series’ action horror roots, editors and industry attendees
at E3 soon realized that the popular franchise had a completely new look and
feel for its third incarnation. This time around, the team at id has given the
series a graphical facelift, which left the demo etched in everyone’s mind.
Many gamers might have to rebuild their PC’s to play the game due to its
high-end hardware demands, but the investment should prove to be money well
spent.

- Todd Mowatt,
Contributing Editor to Various Pubs

Runner-up:Metroid Prime (Retro Studios/Nintendo for GameCube)

Best Action/Adventure GameSplinter Cell
(UbiSoft for Multiple Platforms)Take the Tom Clancy world of military
espionage, and give it the sneak-and-strike treatment of a third-person action
adventure, and you’ve got a winner. Splinter Cell not only looked incredible,
with its realistic environments, but the impressive AI, sneaky gameplay, and
high-tech gadgetry available to your lone operative combined to present a
gripping experience. In a hard-fought category, its original style and focus
helped it make a real splash.

Best Fighting GameTekken 4
(Namco for PlayStation 2)Elegant in its simplicity, yet jaw-droppingly
brutal, the Tekken series once again wows with a combination of finesse and
balls-to-the-wall flair. Characters exude true charisma while dispensing
straight up or juggled beatdowns that'll leave you shaking long after the force
feedback tremors have subsided. Intricate? As the combat engine goes, we're
talking circuit board complexity. For a fighting purist, the series' fourth
iteration looks to be a small slice of heaven; well, assuming your vision of
nirvana encompasses being spanked harder than an S&M rookie.

Best Role Playing GameNeverwinter Nights
(BioWare/Atari for PC)Just like the Lakers, Bioware pulls off a
three-peat of their own. For the third year in a row, Neverwinter Nights snags
the "Best Role Playing Game" category...and with good reason. With Neverwinter
Nights, Bioware is not only providing players with a deep, rich single and
multi-player RPG, but also giving users a comprehensive RPG engine that promises
to put the power of creating and running a computer role playing session as if
it were a classic tabletop experience. Luckily for players and nominees for
next year's RPG category, Neverwinter Nights is now complete and is making its
way to store shelves.

Best Racing GameAuto Modellista
(Capcom for PlayStation 2)It's certainly surprising to see such an
impressive and inventive driving game from a company best known for its fighting
games and zombie-ridden adventure games, but there's no denying Auto
Modellista's appeal. Auto Modellista uses cel-shaded graphics to give it a very
unique look, and to successfully distinguish itself from a genre crowded with
faceless clones as well. Its visual design really has to be seen in motion to be
appreciated, as animated special effects like collisions, dust trails, and
clouds of burning rubber give this game a cartoonlike quality. But Auto
Modellista isn't all flash. You'll get to jump behind the wheel of a number of
recognizable and powerful cars, and its fluid control is reminiscent of classics
like Ridge Racer and Daytona USA. It will even support Sony's PlayStation 2
online network, so trading cars and racing against others will be a snap. Capcom
had many notable titles on display at its booth this year, but this stylish
racer was arguably the largest draw among the bunch.

- Amer Ajami,
Senior Editor, GameSpot

Runner-up:Colin McRae Racing 3 (Codemasters for Multiple Platforms)

Best Simulation GameThe Sims Online
(Maxis/Electronic Arts for PC)Is Will Wright a genius? Or is he just
the one-man advance team for an alien race, sapping our energies with games that
gleefully absorb more and more of our time, until we're helpless to resist their
ruthless march toward galactic rule? There's evidence for both in The Sims
Online, which takes the sitcom ingenuity of The Sims and turns it into a reality
TV soap opera. The fact that it deviates from the sword-and-sorcery games that
currently dominate the MMORPG space - not to mention the plethora of
sci-fi-inspired persistent state world games coming down the pipe-makes it
remarkable. But the fact that it gives you multiple ways to play the game, and
cleverly encourages you to play well with others, and explicitly rewards you for
it -well, that makes it unprecedented. When The Sims Online launches this fall,
it won't be competing with Everquest or Asheron's Call; its competition will be
Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond - that's how effectively and uniquely it
demands your time and attention. And there are so many brilliant concepts
wrapped up in this game that the industry will be studying it - and copying it -
for years to come. Resistance is futile.

--N'Gai Croal,
General Editor, Newsweek

Runner-up:Simcity 4 (Maxis/Electronic Arts for PC)

Best Sports GameNFL 2K3
(Visual Concepts/SEGA for Multiple Platforms)
Sometimes, you need to jettison what helped make you successful—even if you’re
good at it—in order to move forward and thrive. For Sega, it must have been a
tough decision to drop the Dreamcast and shutter its game console-hardware
business in favor of concentrating on being an across-the-board third-party
software publisher. However, that choice was likely the difference between
hemorrhaging money in a battle against bigger console makers or prospering as
their partner—the epitome of “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” That Sega is
focused on just software also benefits its game titles. A good example is NFL
2K3, which is competing against larger, more established sports-game brands,
and more than holding its own. More realistic player animations, such as one-arm
catches, and a Franchise Mode are obvious boosts from previous releases.
However, the partnership with ESPN is a solid move, and will result in a
familiar look to the presentation and other stylistic enhancements. It’s sad we
lost the Dreamcast…but seeing what Sega’s accomplished during the transition
makes the sacrifice worth it.

- Andy Eddy, Contributing Editor to Various Pubs

Runner-up:Madden NFL 2003 (Electronic Arts for
Multiple Platforms)

Best Strategy GameCommand and Conquer Generals
(EA Pacific/Electronic Arts for PC)Electronic Arts found an imaginative way
to extend a classic Westwood franchise by adding a dose of current events. C&C
Generals has the same intense focus on tactical combat, a stellar graphics
engine that shows off detailed 3-D images in urban terrain, and a storyline that
brings the franchise into modern-day warfare between a high-tech U.S.
superpower, the Chinese war machine and a network of terrorists. The different
fighting advantages of these combatants, ranging from B-52 and paratrooper
attacks for the Americans to devastating shoulder-launched ground-to-air
missiles for the terrorists, will make for plenty of familiar yet original
Command & Conquer style sweaty-palm combat.

- Dean
Takahashi, Senior Writer, Red Herring

Runner-up:Age of Mythology (Ensemble Studios/Microsoft for PC)

Best Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor GameSuper Monkey Ball 2
(Amusement Vision/Sega for GameCube)Move over Donkey Kong. Here comes AiAi
and his primate pals in Super Monkey Ball 2 for Nintendo’s GameCube. While it’s
more of the same antics found in the original, we’re not complaining.
Maneuvering the monkeys in their transparent bubbles through loopy tracks turns
out to be a lot more fun than it sounds. Developed by Toshihiro Nagoshi of Sega
Corp.’s Amusement Vision studio, the original Super Monkey Ball sold 200,000
copies in the U.S. since its release in November, enough to warrant a sequel,
due out this fall.

-- Alex Pham,
Technology Reporter, Los Angeles Times

Runner-up:Chu Chu Rocket
(Sonic Team/Sega for GameBoy Advance)

Best Online MultiplayerStar Wars Galaxies
(Sony Online Entertainment/LucasArts for PC)For the second year in a row, LucasArts and Sony Online wowed
those who made an off-floor pilgrimage to see the progress on Star Wars
Galaxies. The massively multiplayer online role-playing game takes place in
the Star Wars universe between the happenings in the Episodes 4 and 5 of
the film saga (Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.)
As with Sony Online’s Everquest, Galaxies will be a persistent
world where, in this case, your character can interact with other budding bounty
hunters or Jedi hopefuls. With all of the depth and trappings of the Lucas
legend at their disposal, the developers could easily have thrust a rush job
online and the faithful would have come. But based on the demonstration
witnessed, it appears that the project is getting plenty of TLC -- evident from
the fine tuning allowed in the character customization options to the realism of
settings such as Jabba’s Palace. Whether gamers are searching for combat or they
want to explore the eight or more planets expected initially, this is a Star
Wars episode that has plenty of Force behind it.

- Mike Snider, Tech
Reporter, USA Today

Runner-up:The Sims Online (Maxis/Electronic Arts for PC)

Special Commendation for SoundDOOM III
(Trent Reznor/id Software/Activision for PC)No game programmer envies the idea of
competing against John Carmack’s latest 3D graphics engine. So imagine the
challenge of trying to create a soundscape that not only matches but also
compliments Carmack’s 3D magic. Leave it to Trent Reznor, frontman for Nine Inch
Nails, to meet and exceed that challenge. Reznor’s richly textured 5.1 channel
soundtrack literally rocked the theater, forming an important part of the
ever-so-impressive multimedia assault that was DOOM III. Presented in a special
theater at the Activision booth, Reznor’s pristinely mixed sound effects and
cranked-to-the-max sound system made everything else at E3 sound like an old
transistor radio.

Special Commendation for GraphicsDOOM III(id Software/Activision for PC) id Software's animators took John
Carmack's latest graphics technology and ran with it in their Doom III demo,
which flattened just about everybody who saw it. Going for the utmost in
realistic multiple-source lighting and shadows, id is sacrificing some speed in
Doom III. But the total impact of the graphics, taken together with breathtaking
sound effects, is at once spectacular and terrifying.

- Dean
Takahashi, Senior Writer, Red Herring

The Game Critics Awards are not associated with or endorsed by the ESA, IDG
or E3 Management